The 25th annual A Taste of Hilo will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15 at Sangha Hall.
The event is a major fundraiser for the Japanese Chamber of Commerce &Industry of Hawaii and is one of the premier culinary events around town.
A portion of the proceeds go to the Hawaii Community College, and the event has donated in excess of $200,000 to the college since it began.
This year’s chairperson, Jan Abundo, says, “We are excited to be celebrating the 25th anniversary of A Taste of Hilo. This promises to be a fun, festive event, and we look forward to coming together as a community to support Hawaii Community College and our local food and beverage industry.”
The featured chef for 2023 is Victor Palma, the executive chef of Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort. He will be preparing braised short ribs with ancho chile and black garlic puree, crunchy quinoa and porcini powder.
Chef Palma has led renowned culinary programs at numerous resorts in the United States and Mexico. He sees parallels between his Mexican roots and Hawaii’s culture of genuine hospitality, culinary traditions, and the human connections that are formed through food.
A Taste of Hilo’s online silent auction will be held from Oct. 9-15 and items can be picked up on the day of the event. There are a wide variety of items donated by local businesses, including rounds of golf, hotel stays, restaurant gift cards, snorkel and zipline tours, and much more.
To commemorate 25 years of A Taste of Hilo, embroidered merchandise is also available to order through Creative Arts Hawaii. A portion from every store item sold will benefit Hawaii Community College.
Food vendors include Hawaii Community College’s Culinary Program making a salad topped with salmon belly with dressing; Kilauea Lodge with curry chicken salad and sliders; Sodexo; Cafe Pesto making green tea poached black cod; Hilo Hawaiian WSW’ Maona’s Inc. with BBQ smoked brisket and house-made BBQ sauce; Hilo Medical Center; Maedo Noodle Factory making kalua nachos with one-ton chips; Nani Mau Gardens Restaurant with malunggay salad topped with crispy opai paired with smoked kiawe tri-tip; Lucky’s Lunch Shop with their LLS street rice; Jaw Jackers with seared catch, warabi namasu, keawe honey mustard braised beef; Oyatsu Hawaii making Kona kampachi crudo with shiso chimichurri, garlic ponzu and bonito flakes; Sweet Cane Cafe with ulu poke and ulu chowder; and Tenkatori Hilo.
Snack and sweet vendors include Hawai’i Island Gourmet Products with chips, cookies and chocolate; Cupcakes Boom! with macaroons; and Short N Sweet Bakery and Deli with a dessert terrarium, edible flowers and chocolates.
Beverage vendors include Anheuser-Busch of Hawaii, Ola Brew Co., Coca-Cola Bottling of Hawaii, Waiakea Water, Johnson Brothers of Hawaii, Pepsi Beverage Company, The Cherry Company, Volcano Winery, Islander Sake and Hilo Brewing Co.
Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.tasteofhilo.org and are $75 per person.
Taste of the Philippines
Celebrate the foods and culture of the Philippines from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 at the King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Resort. This is a fundraiser for scholarships for Filipino students, presented by the Fil-Am Hawaii Foundation. Tickets are $75 and can be purchased online through Evenbrite.
Chairperson Jane Clement says, “This is near and dear to my heart. I have been dreaming of doing this event for about a decade now. I finally found the right team to help me bring it to fruition.”
Participating chefs include Junior Ulep of Meridia at Hapuna Westin Beach Resort, Tante Urban of Tante’s Local Grinds, Richard Estorpe of Umeke’s Fishmarket Bar and Grill, Jonas Ombao of Four Seasons Hualalai Resort, Moana Wooten of Royal Kona Resort, Mike Qaunan of King Kamehameha Beach Hotel, Darcy Ambrosia of Mauka Bar and Grill and Catie Anderson of Sugar’s Hawaii BBQ and Desserts.
Hawaii Food & Wine Festival
The Big Island’s Hawaii’s Food &Wine Festival will be held from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 20 at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.
Kamehameha Schools presents 10 esteemed chefs who will showcase their culinary talents by using indigenous ingredients and cooking traditions that offer a glimpse into the culture and history of their respective regions.
These chefs come from Turtle Island (North America) tribes — Oglala Lakota, Kickapoo and Puuallup — to nations in the Caribbeans and the Pacific — Maori, Samoa, and Hawaii.
Chefs will create dishes that reclaim important ancestral food knowledge once lost, along with wines aged in some of the best cellars in the world, craft cocktails and brews.
Tickets are $300 for general admission and $400 for VIP and are available on the https:// hawaiifoodandwinefestival.com.
Christmas with the Chefs
The 32nd Christmas with the Chefs fundraiser will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 at the King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel.
Chefs and local culinary students will be creating savory cuisine and delectable holiday treats, and there will be a assortment of local ales, wines from around the world, handcrafted cocktails, and 100% Kona coffee available as well.
This fundraiser benefits local culinary students attending Hawaii Community College, Palamanui campus and members of the Kona Kohala Chefs wanting to further their education.
The silent auction is a benefit for the Palamanui culinary program through the ACF Kona Kohala Chefs and the Jean Hull Endowment Fund.
Over the years, the event’s scholarship focus has raised over $900,000.
Early bird tickets will be sold online until Oct. 22. Check out www.konakohalachefs.org for more information. Advance tickets are $135, and $150 after Oct. 23. VIP tables of 10 at $1,750.